A few weeks ago I received my first test print for my Bachmann Mainline replacement wheel centers, you can read the post here.  Although the first test prints looked good, one of the dimensions was incorrect, and consequently they didn’t fit.

This week I’ve received the second test print.  Again these have been printed in Shapeways Smooth Fine Detail Plastic.

Compared to the originals you can see there are four wheel centers with small counterweights and two with large ones.

This time the wheel centers fitted perfectly.  There was a little 3D print residue inside the crank peg hole which I cleaned out before test fitting.  The wheel centers are a snug fit and it’s worth bearing that in mind when painting; if the paint’s too thick it’ll prevent them from fitting correctly.

These can now be prepped for painting.  I do this by soaking the parts in Goo Gone for 24 hours, rinsing under a warm tap, and then leaving to dry for a few days.  Any 3D print residue left behind will turn to powder and can be brushed off.  I’ll then spray them black and re-assemble the locomotive.

As the wheel centers are a snug fit it’s unlikely they’ll fall out but as a precaution, I’ll put a few drops of superglue on the center of the wheel.  I wouldn’t recommend putting any around the outer rim or under the spokes as it’ll certainly spill out.

These are now ready to be ordered and can be found using the link below.

Bachmann Mainline Replacement Wheel Centers

These will fit the Bachman (Mainline) Split Chassis Standard 4MT, as well as any other locomotive that has a wheel diameter of 24.5mm (flange to flange) and an inside diameter of 20.6mm.

If you need a wheel center for a different locomotive, please let me know and I can make that available as well.